On 6/06/2011 Pat wrote:>Would like to donate, but am totally needle phobic. What is the actual process like and is there much discomfort - pain?

For whole blood, there's the interview, blood pressure test, finger prick for haemoglobin level test, then you get to sit in the recliner thing chair and they cuff your arm. The needle for a whole blood donation is tiny. There's the initial pinch and then it's over. You sit there and read a book while the little blood bag rocks back and forth beside you. If you're well hydrated and have good flow you can have the donation done in the chair in less than 10 minutes (I think my best is 6:41 by maybe I'm forgetting, I haven't done whole blood in ages). Can donate every 12 weeks.

Ampherisis for plasma starts the same, interview and a chair. The needle is a little bigger and you have to have better veins. They pull out a bunch of blood, spin it, take the bit they want and then pump the red cells back in. Repeat until you've got a full bag of goo. Plasma takes ~40 minutes on the machine. Again, the only pain really is the needle going in though the pump pulling the blood out or pumping it back in can be odd. These days they top you up with saline too which can make you a little cold. You get a small does of anticoagulant which can make you lips and nose tingle. Can donate every 2 weeks.

Ampherisis for platelets is the same as above really, but takes a little longer depending on your platelet count. Mine is low - 150ish - so they only take one bag of platelets and one of plasma, people with higher platelet counts donate two bags of platelets. Can donate every 4 weeks.

After looking through the website, it looks like they finally might accept raucus old me again - I was excluded for piercings and tattoos for years and figured that I still would be. Did they have a problem with you being in CHina recently Andrew? Had you been immunised against rabies?

To the people who do not donate blood due to aversion to needles - please please reconsider and try to be brave; blood supplies are especially short and if you needed a transfusion at some stage I'd sure you'd hate to think that they'd have to tell you (or any other blood product-dependant patient) "no" as too many people aren't donating due to non-medical reasons...

On 7/06/2011 Wendy wrote:>After looking through the website, it looks like they finally might accept raucus old me again - I was excluded for piercings and tattoos for years and figured that I still would be. Did they have a problem with you being in CHina recently Andrew? Had you been immunised against rabies?

China has put me off the whole blood list and platelet list for at least 4 months so they can test for malaria properly. India will be the same. Haven't been vaccinated against rabies, though they don't have an issue with typhoid, polio or hep a vaccines.

Tattoos I think are only an issue for 12 months? You'd have to ring them to check.

On 7/06/2011 hans wrote:>To the people who do not donate blood due to aversion to needles

I do wonder what happens to people with a needle phobia who need to get an abdominal CT. The syringe for the iodine contrast was 50 or 60cc or something ridiculous and the needle seemed to be a similar scale. Maybe donating blood would be good for them to get over their fear? How many climbers have/had a fear of heights? Might start another poll for that.

I know my needle phobia is entirely irrational. I don't fear the pain, it has never hurt much. It's more a control thing - I really fear the act of someone sticking something into me. I've never had any feeling like it in the rest of my life - it's absolute hysterical terror. I probably need help from a physiologist I imagine. I can think of a moment in my childhood where a doctor snuck up and jabbed me without warning. I blame him. To get a needle into me takes a good few weeks of working myself up, then at least an hour of calming me down in the doctors surgery where I will walk out and come back several times. Finally someone has to hold me down so I can't escape. If a non-threatening small female does the injecting I am much happier, if a big bloke comes towards me.... ye gods!

On 7/06/2011 nmonteith wrote:>I can think of a moment in my childhood where a doctor snuck up and jabbed me without warning. I blame him.

It's funny how these little things break you brain a bit, isn't it?

I hated swimming and had this dislike of putting my face under the shower that I couldn't explain and didn't think were linked. I started swimming to rehab my ankle after surgery. One day in the pool I remembered that when I was doing swimming classes with school (would've been year 3 or 4?) a swimming teacher held my head under the water because she was convinced I could hold my breath longer.

Since I've remembered that I've been a lot better around water and putting my face under water. Still want to punch her though.

On 7/06/2011 nmonteith wrote:>I know my needle phobia is entirely irrational. I don't fear the pain,>it has never hurt much. It's more a control thing - I really fear the act>of someone sticking something into me. I've never had any feeling like>it in the rest of my life - it's absolute hysterical terror. I probably>need help from a physiologist I imagine. I can think of a moment in my>childhood where a doctor snuck up and jabbed me without warning. I blame>him. To get a needle into me takes a good few weeks of working myself up,>then at least an hour of calming me down in the doctors surgery where I>will walk out and come back several times. Finally someone has to hold>me down so I can't escape. If a non-threatening small female does the injecting>I am much happier, if a big bloke comes towards me.... ye gods!

You mean a psychologist? lol. Yes one could probably help using "systematic desensitisation". I suspect in this case the technique of "flooding" wouldn't work....(google it)!

I don't like needles either, had some nasty experiences. As for donating blood, it hasn't been on my to do list for that reason and the uncertainly of how body would cope. Maybe i'm just being soft though.

On a separate point though I find it fascinating that as climbers we can scale difficult/dangerous/exposed routes or even whole mountains and manage the associated fear quite well. However public speaking, needles, spiders, deep water and so on instigate terror in some. I've often caught myself thinking along these lines "you can climb mountains but you're scared of this???"

Having a phobia of needles gives me a greater understanding of other peoples irrational fears. You can't force someone to enjoy heights if they truly are terrified of them. Same goes with spiders - don't tease someone by dropping one in their tent at night as they will only get worse.

As an infant my life was saved by blood transfusions - 16 complete replacements. To repay that I gave blood for many years as an adult, but am now not able to in Australia because of spending a miniscule amount of time in the UK during the mad cow period. I have O Rh Neg, which can be given to anyone in an emergency, but I'll tell you what, I fcuking begrudge anyone getting it if they've never donated themselves when there's no medical reason they couldn't. Fear of needles is not a valid reason!

The quiz asks if you've spent 6 months in the UK between 1980 and 1996 (which I think is less stringent than they were previously). Maybe you're allowed these days or were you there longer than 6 months?

As a Nurse in ED Neil, I can assure you that you are not alone. And don't worry, if you ever REALLY need one the phobia will not be an issue.

You should hit up your Dr for a script for Diazepam to take before procedures (eg if you ever know you are going to be getting a CT with contrast etc). Will help chill you out and might help you get over the needle thing. I munched a fist full before getting 4 wisdom teeth out, and felt in better shape than the dentist by the end of it.

Also, the blood bank staff must surely be the best in the business when it comes to popping a needle in your vein, and I dare say yours are probably not that hard to find...

I still have a strong needle phobia - but it has mellowed somewhat over the years. I used to pass out with any needle!
I finally got the courage up to get over it and successfully donated blood for many years - I just couldn't watch or look at the needle going in or being taken out! Lying down helps too.
But at least my needle phobia improved to the point that I can have blood test samples taken while sitting - instead of lying down. [I still don't look.] One of the side benefits of giving blood!

On a separate issue:
I used to take a 'preventative' longer recovery time lying down and resting after giving blood to ensure that I didn't have a reaction after giving blood. In the end, as I got older, I had a few too many 'reactions' (going into shock) too close together and I can't give blood anymore. These reactions are entirely separate to my needle phobia.

I'm proof that you can regularly give blood even though you have a strong needle phobia.
Go and try please. Healthy, willing donors are needed.
Michael